Randolph Athletic Trainer Heads Off on International Adventure

Jun 25, 2018

LYNCHBURG, Va.- Sometimes all it takes is the click of a mouse to change the direction of one's life. So was the case for Assistant Athletic Trainer Rebekkah Gaston, who saw an opportunity of a lifetime that she could not pass up: to travel to China and work with the Chinese National Team in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

"I saw the posting on our national organization website and I had to go for it," explained Gaston. "I would get to experience a new place and, possibly, travel the world."

Gaston is one of 100 candidates to be placed in China by the end of the summer for a two-year stint that will see her work with one, if not several, competitive Olympic sports teams. After being in the world of western medicine for so long, Gaston is excited to learn new medicinal methods in the eastern hemisphere.

"Rarely do you see someone who gets the chance to be exposed to both," said Gaston.

All new beginnings mean a chapter must end. As Gaston readies to travel to her next destination, she will take every lesson she has learned and every memory she has made with her anywhere in the world she goes.

"[Head Athletic Trainer] Scott [Lawrenson] has been a great mentor and all of the athletic training staff has expanded my career knowledge and leadership skills to develop into a better version of myself," explained Gaston. "Randolph has been a very supportive environment and a real breath of fresh air."